31 things that would happen if Friends was set in the North East

Debra Fox

New York - the city that never sleeps, the place where dreams are made, and (most importantly) the setting for our favourite sitcom.

If you're a fan of Friends you will have undoubtedly spent years dreaming about visiting the Big Apple, strolling through Central Park and taking in the sights of the East Village where your beloved characters lived.

But how about if the successful show was set on British soil instead? And, more specifically, in the North East?

Would Joey's favourite food still be sandwiches? Do you think Monica and Chandler would be looking for a house in the 'burbs? And which department store would Rachel be working in?

We've re-imagined the journey our Friends would take if the programme was set in our region. Take a look - and tell us if there's anything we've missed.

1. The "Joey Special" wouldn't be a Friday night order of two pizzas. It would be two Doner kebabs.

2. Rachel and Monica would have met while at Hebburn comp before going on to South Tyneside College together.

3. Ross and Chandler would have attended university in Newcastle, and lived in the halls on Richardson Road.

5. Ross and his family wouldn't have flown from New York to London for his marriage to Emily. They'd probably have gone on an all-inclusive to Benidorm or Malaga, and Joey would have gone missing on the stag night.

6. Chandler and Monica would have hooked up at a foam party or silent disco after getting totally hammered on Skittles.

7. Joey and Chandler would have left Ben on the Shields Ferry.

8. Monica's restaurant would likely be on Sunderland's High Street West - and we would have been invited to review it. Our true review about the "pretentious, comma garlicky" food would never make it to print due to the overpowering nature of the chef.

9. Rachel would commute into Newcastle to work in Fenwick as a buyer- after starting her career at Geordie Jeans. When it closed down, she scored a job at Debenhams in The Bridges.

10. Joey would regularly perform in plays at The Customs House in Shields - before finally getting his big break in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat at Sunderland Empire.

11. The Friends wouldn't be grabbing a hot pretzel as they dash between their jobs in the city. The snack of choice would definitely be a saveloy dip from Dickson's.

12. Instead of travelling to Montauk, New York, to find out the truth about her family, Phoebe would herd the friends onto the train and travel to Seaton Carew. They would get lost at least once on the way, and have regular stops for pints.

13. Ross would meet an interesting girl who lives in Consett, but the commute would do him in and he'd pick a date from Jarrow instead.

14. Rachel wouldn't have messed up a trifle for the Thanksgiving dessert - she would have put tomatoes and mayonnaise in an Eton Mess, wrecking a birthday tea.

15. Joey would greet women with "Areeeeeeeeet pet?"

16. Phoebe would regularly busk on Ocean Road in Shields - but be ousted at least once a week for putting customers off their spicy grub.

17. Chandler would have escaped Janice by telling her he was moving to Prague - and she wouldn't have known where it was.

18. Ross would have begun his career working at the Museum of Hartlepool after convincing bosses he has a PhD in Maritime History. He would later get tenure as a lecturer at Sunderland University, where he would put on a non-convincing Liverpudlian accent.

19. Rachel and Chandler wouldn't have become obsessed with cheesecake from Mama's Little Bakery - they would have repeatedly nicked the giant Millie's Cookie ordered for their neighbours' 30th birthday.

20. The gang would have went on regular picnics to Bents Park - but Phoebe would have demanded a special trip into Newcastle after the others went on the all-inclusive wedding trip without her.

21. Chandler's and Monica's wedding would have taken place at Ramside Hall because Monica has impeccable taste - but the pair would have toasted their engagement with jagerbombs because Joey was in charge of mixing the drinks.

22. Chandler wouldn't have had his neck licked on the Subway - he would have been offered a can of Foster's by a random on the Metro.

23. The guys would be late for Monica's Sunday lunch after getting caught up in traffic chaos after the Wear-Tyne derby at the Stadium of Light. And Ross would probably be cautioned for (accidentally) invading the pitch when a goal was scored.

24. The group wouldn't spend their days chugging coffee in a trendy cafe - they would meet in the local Wetherspoons each lunchtime for a beer and burger deal.

25. Joey would meet the love of his life while grabbing a cheeky cuppa at Costa. But they would split up when she reveals her allegiance to Newcastle United FC.

26. When Chandler moves out, Joey's roommate would be the next "big star" of Geordie Shore.

27. Monica wouldn't have travelled to a New Jersey bakery to meet her food cravings as a large teenager - she would have hopped on the Metro to Shields for an ice cream cone from Minchellas.

28. Completing the Great North Run before turning 30 would be an item on Phoebe's bucket list. She would do it in her 31st year - on a spacehopper.

29. Her twin sister Ursula wouldn't work as a waitress in Soho - she would be a shots girl on Newcastle's Bigg Market.

30. Monica and Chandler's adopted twins would be called Samantha (Sam for short) and Allan to appease Joey and his love of the Black Cats. The family would live happily ever after at a house in Whitburn, with a conservatory on the back for Joey to sleep in.

31. Rachel wouldn't be "getting off the plane" at the end of the series - she'd be jumping off the Spirit of Sunderland train service to London as it tried to leave the platform. And she'd probably drop her phone down the gap, cutting the message short.